Ukraine's Security Service Charges Three Russian Officials for Torture of Civilians in Berdiansk

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has charged three Russian officials in absentia for their roles in organizing the abduction and torture of civilians in occupied Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia region, the agency announced on August 29.

Investigators claim that Russian Colonel Oleksandr Korneev, the occupying authorities' Prosecutor Yevhen Svistunov, and the occupying authorities' Investigator Denys Shekhovets orchestrated raids to capture residents and pro-Ukrainian collaborators in the occupied city. The SBU reports that the abducted individuals were tortured with electric current and deprived of food and water to coerce them into collaborating with the Russian Armed Forces.

The three accused are also alleged to have personally participated in these raids. They face charges under Ukraine's Criminal Code for "violation of the laws and customs of war."

As of mid-March, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office has documented pre-trial information on at least 128,000 alleged victims of Russian war crimes, including attacks on civilians, cultural sites, medical institutions, as well as torture and deportations.